Into the Mountains
by MoonChild1993
Summary: Set at the beginning of season three. The group decides to head for the Smoky Mountains. Daryl Dixon and Carol Peletier become roommates. A romance blossoms between the pair.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hey, y'all! Welcome to my second Walking Dead story! This one is going to differ from the show quite a bit and will be a little more silly and romantic than my other story. I hope y'all enjoy! Please review and follow! Thanks in advance!**

 **Also, to my readers waiting for an update for "You & Me", I've been having a bit of writer's block with that one, but it will be updated soon. Thanks for being so patient! In the meantime, I hope y'all enjoy this story! **

Daryl Dixon walked in a slow circle around the group's camp. His bloodshot eyes darted around wildly, looking for any sign of movement.

Everything was still. It was early morning; the sun was just beginning to rise. The darkness was fading away, chased away by the hazy orange light of the sun.

It was quiet except for the occasional bird's chirping or human's snoring. He looked around at the group, all sleeping soundly in their sleeping bags on the ground. He couldn't pinpoint which one of them was snoring, but whoever it was, they must have been sleeping good.

They'd been camping out here for about a month. After the walkers had taken over the farm house, they'd only been focused on getting out and finding each other. They hadn't given thought to where they might go or what they would do for food, water, or gas for the vehicles.

So, they'd been here for the past month, slowly siphoning gas from abandoned vehicles and collecting food and clothing.

Today was supposed to be the day. They were going to decide where to go from here. It was too cold to keep sleeping outside. Lori's belly was growing bigger by the minute, it seemed. They needed a real home.

Daryl stopped walking when he heard a rustling sound. He turned to see Carol sitting up, her thin arms stretching up into the air. Daryl blew out a breath and kept walking.

He watched her as she got up, shrugged on a sweater, grabbed a large knife, and headed toward a section of the woods they'd designated as the bathroom. With all the overgrown brush, it was private but still close enough that screaming could be heard in case someone got into some trouble. So far, so good.

Daryl watched her walk away, feeling that familiar flutter in his chest that he always felt when he laid eyes on her.

Their relationship, if you could call what they had a relationship, was much better than it was before. They'd both been through so much. He'd called her a stupid bitch, her daughter had died, and she'd called him Rick's henchman. There had been other good and bad moments in between those, but those were the ones his mind always went back to.

They'd come a long way in the past month. He'd forgiven her for what she'd said about him being a henchman. Now they were closer than they had been before.

"Hey, good looking. What are you thinking about?"

Daryl jumped. So much for keeping watch over the group. He hadn't even seen her come back from the bathroom. Now she was standing right in front of him, a smirk on her face. Good thing she hadn't been a walker. He'd be dead by now.

Daryl just growled at her and kept walking. One of her favorite things was flirting with him. He couldn't remember when she'd started doing it, but now she did it all the time because she knew it drove him crazy.

"I was thinking about givin' you an arrow in the ass," He grumbled.

She just laughed, and the sound warmed him in a way the early morning sun couldn't.

"As long as that's the only thing you're thinking about giving me in the ass," she retorted.

He could feel his cheek go red. He gave her a sideways look and saw that she was trying her hardest not to bust out laughing and wake up the rest of the group. He shook his head. She was so damn proud of that joke, wasn't she?

"Hush, woman," He instructed.

"Yes, sir," she replied, "So, where do you think we're headed?"

Daryl shrugged. He had no idea.

"I got no idea. There's a prison a few miles away. Crawling with walkers, but Rick thinks we could clear it out. Then there's Fort Benning."

She nodded.

"You know, I was thinking about places last night, and I think I came up with one that I might bring up to Rick."

"Alright, shoot."

"The Smoky Mountains."

He gave her another sideways glance. The mountains? They were a long way from the mountains.

"I know we're a long way from the mountains," she continued, as if reading his thoughts, "but we could find one of those vacation cabins up there. There would probably be less people, less walkers. We'd have land to hunt on. Could probably find one near a stream too, if we wanted."

Daryl thought about it. It actually wasn't a bad idea. Sure, there were downsides, but there were a lot of upsides too. A cabin in the woods. That sounded like heaven to him.

"It's actually ain't a bad idea. Bring it up to Rick at breakfast."

Carol grinned up at him, "I think I will."

In an hour, the group was up and moving. Daryl helped Rick, Glenn, T-Dog, Hershel, and Maggie pack up their belongings. Carol, Lori, Carl, and Beth got breakfast ready.

When the powdered eggs were cooked and the canned fruits opened, they all sat down to eat.

Daryl always sat beside Carol. It was just their way. She would fix him his plate, hand it to him, and then take her place beside him on the hard ground.

They all ate in complete silence, as was their usual way. Then Daryl heard Carol clear her throat.

"Rick, do you know where we're headed yet?" Carol asked.

All eyes turned to their leader, Rick Grimes.

He shook his head.

"I was gonna put it to a vote this morning. We can try clearing out the prison, or we can stick with our original plan and head to Fort Benning. Unless someone else has another idea?"

"I do, actually," Carol said.

"Alright, let's hear it," Rick said with an encouraging smile.

"The Smoky Mountains."

Hushed whispers arose among the group.

"The Smoky Mountains?" Rick inquired, rubbing his chin, "You got a specific place in mind?"

Carol shook her head.

"Not exactly. But I know there's lots of cabins up there, cabins meant to hold up to thirty or more people. I thought maybe we could find one of those, everyone could have their own space. Less walkers and probably less humans. Plenty of hunting ground. If we found one up high enough, we'd see a walker horde coming a mile away."

"It ain't a bad idea," Daryl interjected. He was really warming up to the idea.

"It would be a long drive, but I agree it kind of makes sense. Let's vote. All in favor of clearing the prison, raise your hand."

Daryl wasn't surprised to see no one raise their hand. No one was up for that challenge.

Rick chuckled.

"Alright, all in favor of Fort Benning?"

Hershel, Beth, and T-Dog raised their hands, but they were already outvoted, and they knew it.

Rick stood up.

"Alright, looks like we're headed into the mountains. Everyone be ready to head out in an hour. We've got a long drive ahead of us."

 **Author's Note: Again, thanks for reading! Please let me know your thoughts about it! Also, I apologize for any spelling or grammar mistakes I might have missed.**


	2. Chapter 2

Daryl leaned against his bike and picked at his fingernails as he watched the others pack their few belongings into the cars.

They were going to head towards Gatlinburg, Tennessee, a major vacation destination before the end of the world. The plan was to find a cabin deep within the mountains that was big enough to sleep all of them. If they could find one overlooking the city and roads, that would just be a bonus.

Daryl found himself giddy as a schoolboy. His parents had never taken them on vacation; there was never enough money for that. Gatlinburg was one of those places that kids in school always talked about when they came back from summer break. They would talk about the beautiful mountains, the extravagant cabins, and seemingly endless list of things to do there.

Even though he knew Gatlinburg itself would be swarmed with walkers, the idea of staying in one of those cabins, in the mountains, was exciting. It had always been a private dream of his to one day move off to the mountains, live off the land, be by himself. He supposed now was as good a time as ever to live that dream, and two out of three wasn't bad.

Carol caught his eye, bringing him back to the here and now. She'd changed into jeans, a faded red tank top, and a black hooded sweatshirt. Her silver hair stuck out in tiny spikes all over her scalp. Her blue eyes sparkled as she laughed at something T-Dog said. She was carrying her back pack to the back of the pick-up truck. God, she was beautiful.

Daryl quickly shook his head and lowered his gaze. He could feel his cheeks getting red, although he didn't know why. It's not like anyone was paying him any attention anyway.

Thoughts like that were a foreign concept to Daryl, even though he'd been having them for awhile. Before the world ended, he's seen women and thought they were hot, but he'd never found one as beautiful as he did Carol. He'd never met a woman in the old world to match her.

He picked his gaze back up and watched Carol as she hoisted herself up into the truck bed. She took a seat, backing herself up until her back was against the back window of the truck.

He squinted his eyes, confused. What the hell was she doing?

He walked over, crossbow slung behind his back. She smiled up at him.

"Hey, Daryl," she said.

"Hey, yourself. What are you doin'?"

"Well, I'm sitting here in the back of this truck. What are you doing?"

He ignored that, "Yeah, but why?"

She shrugged.

"There's no room for me in the truck or the car. So, I offered to ride in the back of the truck."

He just kept squinting at her.

"Naw, you're not riding in the back of a truck like a damn dog. You ride with me."

She studied him for a moment before a smile spread across her face.

"Well, that's sweet of you to offer, Daryl. Are you sure you're going to be able to handle it, my body pressed up against yours for the next seven hours?"

"Stop it. Now hurry up. I ain't got all day," He said with a roll of his eyes. He turned away from her laughter to head back to his bike.

This was going to be a long ass drive.

 **Author's Note: Wow! Thank you for the reviews and follows! I appreciate it! So, there wasn't a lot going on in this chapter, but I wanted to give the plan and have another cute moment between Daryl and Carol. I googled how far it was from Atlanta to Gatlinburg, and it gave me about four hours. I tacked on three because they'll be taking back roads and will probably run into road blocks and walkers, so that's how I came up with that. I apologize for any inconsistencies or errors. Please keep those reviews and follows coming! Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3

They'd only been on the road for three hours, but Daryl felt like it'd been an eternity.

As it turned out, he couldn't handle Carol being on the back of his bike. Every minute on this bike with her was torture.

Her front was completely pressed against his back, making him very aware of her breasts. Her thighs wrapped around his in a vice grip. Her hands gripped his jacket, so she could hold on. She'd burrowed her head into his shoulder to keep the wind out of her face, but every once in a while, she would lift her head up, and her warm breath would tickle his ear and neck. Every now and then he'd catch a whiff of the lavender soap she used to clean up with.

It was total sensory overload, and he wasn't sure he was going to make it all the way to the mountains.

He thought about telling her to switch out with someone else, just to give him a break, but that would be too mean. Besides, there was no one else he wanted on the back of his bike anyway.

He heard a honk behind him. Daryl immediately pulled the bike over onto the side of the road. The other two vehicles pulled in behind him. Carol hopped off immediately, and Daryl let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

Then he winced at the loss of her warmth as she went to help the others.

They were stopping for a much needed bathroom break. Daryl went off to do his business, and when he got back, Rick called him over to take another look at the map.

"Still know where you're goin'?" Rick asked.

Daryl nodded, "Yeah, I think I got it. If we keep the same pace, we should make it before dark. Might have to camp out for the night though."

"Yeah, I figured that. So, you think that's worth exploring?" Rick asked, nodding at the gas station located conveniently across from where they'd pulled over.

"Might as well," Daryl said with a shrug.

The group followed Rick and Daryl towards the gas station, weapons raised. Rick banged on the door, hoping to draw any walkers right to them. They waited. No sound, no movement from within. Rick looked back and nodded at the group. It was clear.

They moved inside. Someone had already been there before them. The cashier was sprawled out on the floor, a hole in the back of his head where a bullet had gone through. There were two more bodies lying in the aisles, both with bullet holes in their heads. Rick still stabbed each of them in the head anyway, just to be sure.

The group spread out, going through the picked-over aisles. Daryl headed straight to the candy. He'd been having a craving for chocolate bars, his favorite food before the world ended.

He browsed the aisle. Most of them had been picked over, but there were still plenty to choose from. He started grabbing whatever he saw, uninterested in specifics. He liked all candy bars the same.

"Think you've got enough?" Carol asked from beside him. She had a smirk on her face.

"Nah, but this is all I can carry," he said. He looked down at her hands. They were empty.

"Couldn't find anything for yourself?" he asked her.

She shrugged.

"No, I didn't see anything," she said, looking around wistfully.

"I threw a bunch of stuff into a bag, but I didn't see anything that appealed to me."

Daryl stared hard at her. She wasn't acting like herself.

"You alright?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

She looked up at him and smiled.

"You always see right through me, Daryl Dixon," she said.

"Yeah, I do. So, what's up?"

"It's just…I'm just nervous."

She rubbed her stomach absently.

"I'm nervous about this trip. What if I'm wrong? What if there's nowhere for us to stay? What if we run into a horde? What if something happens? It would be my fault."

He shook his head immediately.

"That's bullshit. We put it to a vote. Everyone knows the risks."

She sighed, "I know that, but it doesn't make it any easier. I won't feel better until I know we have a safe place to stay."

He hated that look of worry on her face. Hated how pale she was, like she could be sick at any moment.

"Daryl! Y'all ready to head out?"

Daryl looked up to see T-Dog staring at them. The rest of the group was headed toward the vehicles.

"Right behind you," Daryl called back.

He turned back to Carol.

"It'll be alright. We'll make it," he told her.

He held out a candy bar towards her. She looked up at him.

"Eat. For me," he said.

She unwrapped the candy bar and took a bite.

"Alright, I'm eating for you," she told him after she swallowed. They stepped outside.

"But if I throw up all over you and your motorcycle, that's on you, not me."

Daryl just shook his head and headed toward his bike, silently praying that she did not, in fact, throw up all over him and his bike.

 **Author's Note: Thank you so much for the reviews and follows! It makes my heart happy to know that y'all are enjoying this story! I'm having a lot of fun writing it! Please keep those reviews and follows coming! Thanks!**


	4. Chapter 4

Five hours later, Daryl stood in front of the most beautiful cabin he'd ever seen.

He'd discovered it when he'd taken a chance on a gravel road covered in foliage just off the highway. There'd been no mailbox, only a sign with four numbers.

He'd pulled over to the shoulder of the highway, and Rick had pulled up beside him. They'd agreed that Daryl and Carol would go up first, scope it out.

Now here he stood. The cabin was massive and looked like something straight out of his childhood fantasies. Large picture windows, a wrap around porch, surrounded by woods.

He walked around to the back and stopped in his tracks. The mountains. A perfect view of them. It took his breath away. He'd never seen anything like it in person.

"It's perfect, isn't it?" Carol whispered beside him. When he looked down at her, he was greeted with one of her beautiful smiles.

"Yeah, it's one hell of a view," he replied, not just talking about the mountains now. Not that he was going to tell her that. 

"That it is. Now, let's go check out the inside."

They walked back around to the front. Daryl hoisted up his crossbow, and Carol raised her gun. He smirked. She looked so cute with that gun. She was getting to be one hell of a shot.

They shared a glance and a nod before Daryl went to turn the doorknob. It didn't budge.

"Dammit, it's locked," he sighed.

"Can you pick it?" Carol asked.

He just glared at her.

"Have you met me? 'Course I can pick it. Just ain't got nothing to pick it with."

She rolled her eyes and walked away, headed back to the bike. He watched her rummage through her back pack, grab something, and then she was heading back to him, a grin on her face.

"Silly man. Women always have things to pick locks with. I've got a credit card, safety pin, paper clips, and a pocket knife. Which one you want first?"

He just stared at her, dumbfounded.

"What the hell you got a credit card for?"

"It was Ed's. He never let me have the damn thing. Couldn't even have one of my own. So, when he died I took it from his wallet, and now I carry it with me."

He shook his head, "Good for you. Now hand it over."

After several minutes of struggles and curse words, Daryl finally got the door unlocked. They raised their weapons back up. He went inside first.

The door opened up to the main level of the house. They were standing in the dining room. To their left was the kitchen and a hallway that looked like it led to bedrooms. Straight ahead was the large living room. On the opposite side of the living room were giant windows and the porch overlooking the mountains. So far, no walkers.

They checked out the two bedrooms, bathroom, and laundry room on that level. No walkers. The balcony was clear too.

Then they had a decision to make.

"You wanna split up? I'll take the downstairs, you take the upstairs?" Carol asked.

He didn't like the idea of them splitting up, but they would cover more ground faster that way.

He nodded, "Be careful."

She smiled, "You too, big guy."

Upstairs, there was a sitting area with bookshelves filled with books, two huge bedrooms, two bathrooms, and another balcony. All of it was clear. He was making his way back down the stairs when he heard Carol call out his name.

He raced down the second set of stairs, his heart pounding.

He found Carol standing in the middle of what was once an entertainment room. There was a pool table and air hockey table. A table for playing board games or poker. A bar in the back.

"Are you alright?" Daryl asked her, looking her over.

Damn woman just smiled up at him. Yeah, she was alright. Unless he decided to ring her neck.

"Yeah, I just wanted you to hurry up and get down here. Isn't this great? The group is going to love it."

He followed her around as she showed him everything she'd discovered. This level also had two bedroom and a bathroom. There was a sliding door in one of the rooms that led out onto the screened in porch. There was another room full of recliners and a large movie screen. He hated that they had no power. She'd also found a stack of board games and a couple guitars.

Yeah, this place was pretty damn perfect.

By the time the sun started to set, the rest of the group had come up to the cabin and brought their belongings inside.

"So, how are we dividing up the rooms?" Lori asked.

"I had some thoughts about that," Carol said.

The group all nodded.

"Let's hear it," Lori encouraged.

"Well, I was thinking you and your family could take the top floor, Glenn and the Greenes could take this level, and T-Dog, Daryl, and I would sleep downstairs."

They all looked around at each other. Then they all slowly nodded and dispersed to find their rooms. Daryl smirked. Yeah, not a single one argued with her idea. He certainly wasn't going to.

"Let's go, roomies," T-Dog said, grinning at them before he disappeared down the stairs. They followed behind him.

"Alright, how we doin' this?" T-Dog asked. They all stood around the pool table.

It was understood between the two men that Carol would have her own room, which left the two of them with the other bedroom and the pull out couch.

"What do ya say, Daryl? That bed's big enough for the both of us," T-Dog said, a gleam in his eyes. Carol covered her mouth to hide her smirk.

Daryl snorted, "Dream on, man. I ain't sleepin' with you. I'll just take the couch." He wasn't delighted about it, but he'd slept in worse places.

"Yeah, T-Dog, you're going to have to get in line. If he's sleepin' with anybody, it's going to be me."

Daryl gave her a look, and they both started cackling as they went back to their rooms. Crazy woman, he though with a shake of his head. Little did she know that she was the only one who's bed he would want to share.

Later that night, Daryl came in hungry and tired from watch. He headed downstairs. It was dark down there except for a single candle that had been lit and left on the bar. Next to it, there was a plate of cooked beans and rice and a bottle of water.

He smiled to himself. He knew without a doubt who'd left that plate and water for him. Carol always took such good care of him.

He carried the candle down the short hallway and found that her door was cracked open. He nudged it with his foot and peered inside. He could just barely make out her small body curled up in the covers, her back to him.

Sadness pierced his heart and made him winced. He would give anything to share her bed, to sleep next to her every night.

He ate his food at the bar. When he was finished, he took off his gear and headed to the couch. He'd folded it out earlier, so he didn't have to do that. Carol had left him a pillow and a couple blankets. He was grateful for that since the temperature had dropped.

He flopped down onto the mattress…and fell to the floor. He winced at the pain in his back. Well, that was just great. His goddamn bed was broken.

"Daryl?" Carol called faintly from her room. Shit. The noise must have woken her.

He got up and headed to her room with the candle.

"Go back to sleep."

She was rolled over now, propped up on her elbow, staring at him.

"What was that noise?"

"Fell through my damn bed. It's broken. Didn't realize it until I went to lay down."

She laughed. He rolled his eyes and turned away.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," he said sourly. She wasn't the one that had to sleep on the floor.

"Wait, Daryl, come back," she said through her laugher.

He turned back and leaned against the doorframe.

"Sleep with me. There's plenty of room on this bed. I don't mind. As long as you don't try to seduce me."

He grunted, "Yeah, fat chance of that happening tonight."

He crawled into the bed and laid down on his back, stiff as a board. She rolled back over onto her side, her back to him. He was afraid to move, afraid to breath. He felt like this was all a really good dream he didn't want to wake from.

"See, this isn't so bad, is it?" she mumbled sleepily.

No, this really wasn't bad at all.

 **Author's Note: Hey, y'all! Okay, I just had to write another feel good chapter after watching tonight's episode. I won't give away any spoilers, but all I can say is holy shit! I don't know if I can handle this show anymore. I stay sick to my stomach and anxious! I'm just so thankful for fan fiction. I wouldn't be able to function without it.**

 **Thanks again for all the reviews and follows! Please keep them coming! They keep me going! Also, I apologize for any errors in this chapter. I just glanced back at it. It's midnight, and I'm sleepy, so I'm sure I missed some things. Just let me know if you spot any!**

 **We're going to make it through the rest of this season, y'all! No matter what happens, we can do it! Just thought I'd throw that in there!**


	5. Chapter 5

Daryl woke up to find himself spooning Carol. Some time during the night, they'd gravitated toward each other. Now his front was pressed against her back, his arm wrapped around her body.

He tried to get out of the bed without waking her, embarrassed that he'd practically assaulted her in her sleep.

No such luck. Just as he moved away from her, she rolled over to face him. She smiled up at him briefly before sitting up and yawning.

He sat up beside her awkwardly. What did you say to the woman you'd been spooning all night without her permission?

Before he had a chance to come up with anything, she was already getting out of the bed and slipping her tennis shoes back on.

"Guess I should go upstairs. See what's going on with breakfast. I'll see you later."

She smiled up at him again, her cheeks pink, before walking out of the room.

Daryl just sat there, stunned. If he didn't know any better, he would think that she was embarrassed by their spooning. She'd certainly left in a hurry. But this was Carol. She was never embarrassed around him, not anymore. And she always teased him. But not this morning.

He got up, put on his gear, and went upstairs. He made a promise to himself to apologize to her later. In the meantime, he had some shopping to do.

After an awkward breakfast, Daryl headed out with T-Dog to find the nearest town. He was looking for a new bed for himself.

Carol still hadn't said a word to him since she'd bolted out of her bedroom that morning. She stood beside him quietly at breakfast, ate her food quickly, and then left to go clean or something.

They'd been on the road for about thirty minutes when they came across a tiny dump of a town. It was similar to lots of other southern town he'd driven to before. Nothing but fast food chains, liquor stores, cigarette shops, and shady places advertising bail bonds and tax services.

Luckily for them, the town also had a mattress store.

The idea was to grab a mattress and a box spring and set himself up a bed somewhere downstairs. Maybe he could even hang up some sheets, make himself a little nest.

"You know, we can share the room," T-Dog said as they got out of the truck. Like he'd been reading his mind.

"Thanks. Might take you up on that offer."

They took out a dozen or so walkers in the parking lot. They killed six more in the store. Daryl found a twin size mattress and box spring. T-Dog helped him carry them back to the truck. He went back inside for two sets of sheets. He was positive he'd be able to find a blanket back at the cabin.

When they got back to the cabin, everyone was off doing their own thing. T-Dog and Daryl carried the mattress and box spring downstairs. Now he had to find a place to sleep.

Carol had been in her room. She came out when she heard them come downstairs.

"What's all this?" she asked.

"Got myself a bed to sleep on. Now I just gotta figure out where to put it."

"Why?"

"What do ya mean?" He asked, looking around the entertainment space. There was no way they would fit in here without being in the way.

She shuffled her feet.

"I was just wondering why you had to buy yourself a new bed."

T-Dog, suddenly sensing an awkward moment, started to back toward the stairs.

"I'm out. Daryl, you can set up in my room if you need to. It's cool, man."

"Thanks," he replied to T-Dog's retreating form.

Now he was left alone with Carol, who was looking up at him with hurt in her eyes. She was trying to hide with a smile, though.

"They look nice. So, you're moving in with T-Dog?"

"Carol, I-"

"I should go get started on dinner."

There she went, being all weird again. She walked past him to head for the stairs, but he grabbed her around the arm, firmly enough to stop her, but gently enough that he didn't hurt her.

"What's your problem?" He asked her.

She just blinked up at him.

"Nothing."

"You been actin' strange all day, ever since this morning."

She looked down.

"No, I haven't."

"You're a shitty liar."

She huffed.

"I'm not lying, Daryl. I'm fine."

He shook his head.

"Bullshit. Look, I'm sorry I pawed all over you in my sleep. It was an accident. Figured you didn't want me in your bed anymore, so I got my own."

She just shook her head and walked away from him, going back into her bedroom.

He wanted to scream. He wanted to shout. He wanted hit something. Why wouldn't she talk to him? Joke with him? He hadn't meant to do it. He shouldn't have even slept in her bed. He knew it was too good to be true. It was just wishful thinking on his part that she would want him in her bed.

He had feelings for her. He did. He could admit it to himself.

But there was no way he could admit it to her. Especially now since she hated him.

The rest of the night carried on as usual. Everyone met upstairs for dinner. Carol sat beside him like she usually did, but she didn't look at him or speak to him.

He went to watch duty and thought about Carol the whole time. When it was time for him to switch out with Glenn, Daryl could feel the dread wash over him. He had no idea why. He highly doubted Carol was waiting down there to ambush him. But he still felt nervous, like he shouldn't be around her. Maybe he would get lucky, and she'd be asleep.

Once again, he was unlucky. She was awake, sitting on that lumpy couch. Her eyes bloodshot and droopy, as if she could fall asleep at any moment. That thought warmed him. It was late. Really late. Which meant she must have waited up for him all night.

"Hey," he rasped. He took off his gear and sat down beside her.

She smiled the first genuine smile from her he'd seen all day.

"Hey, yourself. How was watch?"

He shrugged, "Boring. Why you up so late?"

"I wanted to talk to you. About today."

He just nodded, waited for her to continue.

"I'm not mad about what happened last night. Actually, I…I…"

He watched her struggle with her words. She wasn't looking at him. What could be so hard for her to say to him?

"What?"

She looked up at him. "I liked it. I liked waking up to your arm around my body and your body pressed against mine. It was nice."

Daryl could feel himself blush. Well, this was news to him.

"I think…what I'm trying to say is…I want to wake up to that every morning. All this time, you've been my best friend. But I didn't realize until last night that I want more. With you. So much more."

She let out a sigh. Her face was still red.

Daryl just stared.

"You're doing that squinty-eye thing."

"Am not."

"Are too. So…"

He just kept staring.

"I think…" He cleared his throat. His face was flaming.

"I think I'd like that too."

 **Author's Note: Thanks for the continued reviews and follows! I'm so glad y'all are enjoying this story. Please excuse any errors! Keep those reviews and follows coming! Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 6

It had been a week since Carol had confessed her feelings to Daryl.

He felt like the luckiest man alive.

They woke up next to each other in her big bed, they ate all their meals together, and then at the end of the night, he would return to her bed.

He'd been worried that their relationship would change for the worse, but it had only gotten better. She still joked around and flirted with him, and he found that he was actually starting to enjoy it more, now that he knew how she felt about him.

Before, he'd secretly been intimidated and afraid of her flirting. He'd been afraid that if he'd shown any sign that he was interested in being more than her friend, she would have run for the hills.

He was starting to worry about their new relationship, though. They slept in the same bed together, but that was it. They hadn't kissed or done anything else. He worried that he wasn't fulfilling his role as a man and making her happy.

But then he supposed that maybe she wanted to take things slow. After all, it had only been a week. Still, he was worried.

"Hey, you," Carol said from behind him. She took a seat in the rocking chair next to him. They were sitting on the top balcony.

"Hey," he replied.

"It's so beautiful out here, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is."

"I'm going out today."

He turned to look at her. Out here, it was easy to forget what the real world was like. Back in the old days, he wouldn't have batted an eye at his woman wanting to go out. Now, he just wanted to tell her no. Not that she'd listen to him anyway.

"Why?" he asked.

"Well, Lori is going to have her baby soon, so the women wanted to throw her a baby shower, make sure she has plenty for the baby, and Hershel needs medical supplies to help with the delivery."

"Who's goin'?"

"Just Maggie, Hershel, and I. We'll be fine," Carol assured him, brushing a hand over his cheek.

Daryl didn't want her to go. She was ready, but the rest of them sure as hell weren't. Hershel was a good shot, but his reflexes were slow. Maggie knew her way around a gun too, but she didn't have the experience the rest of them did when it came to shooting and killing walkers.

"I can go," he told her, hating how worried his voice sounded.

"Daryl, look at me."

He'd been looking down at his lap. Now his eyes met hers.

"I think it's really sweet that you're worried about me. But I don't need you to follow me around all the time. I went through that with my ex-husband, and I don't want to go through it again."

He felt like such an ass. He could feel his cheeks turning red, a sweat breaking out on his brow.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

She rose out of her seat and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"It's okay, Daryl. I think it's sweet that you care that much. I'm gonna go get ready, okay?"

He just nodded, unable to speak.

After wallowing in self-pity for awhile, he decided to go downstairs and find Carol, tell her goodbye before she left.

He nodded hello to Carl and Beth, who were both downstairs trying to play pool. He found Carol in the bedroom, loading up on weapons.

"Hey," she said when she saw him.

" 'Bout to head out?" he asked her.

"Yeah."

Daryl moved in closer to her. She just watched him. God, she looked good. She was wearing a purple tank top today, and it looked with her silver hair.

"Are you going to kiss me, Daryl Dixon?" she whispered, looking right in his eyes.

He froze, his cheeks flaming. Well, he hadn't expected her to call him out on it, but yeah, he'd planned on kissing her.

She placed a hand on his chest.

"I want nothing more than to kiss you right now. But I'm not going to. You're just going to have to wait until I come back, and I will come back."

Before he could say a word, she walked out of the room.

Devil woman. He didn't even get a chance to say goodbye.

* * *

They'd been gone three hours. Daryl paced around downstairs, unable to keep his mind from picturing Carol being torn apart by walkers.

He checked the bar for booze. Nothing.

He looked around. Well, he could play pool, he supposed.

He picked up a cue and starting hitting the balls that had been left scattered on the table from the previous game.

It brought back memories of hitting up the pool halls on a Friday night with Merle, the two of them doing their best to hustle some money out of the other bar patrons. They'd had some good fun doing that. Gotten their asses kicked a few times too, not that Daryl would admit that out loud.

He heard footsteps coming down the stairs. It was Beth and Carl. They stood at the pool table, watching him.

"You're really good," Beth told him.

"Yeah, well, I've had a lot of practice," he grumbled.

"Can you teach us how to play?" Carl asked.

He had half a mind to bark a no at them, tell them to leave him alone. He had no right to be mean to them, though, just because he was nervous.

"Sure. Go grab some cues."

One hour later, they still weren't back.

He shadowed Beth and Carl as they played a new game of pool, this time using tips he'd taught them. They weren't half bad.

The front door opened upstairs. He practically ran up the stairs; he had to force himself to slow down. God, he was becoming such a pussy. His brother would be ashamed.

Hershel walked through the door, red-faced and limping.

"What happened?" Daryl asked.

Maggie walked in after him.

"He sprained his ankle. Tripped," she said, carrying in bags of stuff.

Daryl just nodded and headed outside.

There she was, unloading bags out of the truck. Her face was red too, but she was grinning from ear to ear.

"What are you smiling for?" he asked, coming to stand beside her. The back of the truck was full of supplies for the baby as well some bags that looked like they had food.

"Just happy is all."

She set down her bags on the ground, grabbed his face on both sides, and leaned up to kiss him. Her lips were soft, so unlike his chapped ones. He was frozen for a moment, but eventually he placed his hands on her hips and responded to the kiss.

It was the most amazing thing he'd ever experienced in his life.

She was the first to pull away. She wrapped her arms around his neck and looked up at him.

"See, I told you I'd be back."

"Mmhmm." He couldn't even form words to respond. His head was still spinning.

She laughed.

"Wow, I can't believe I left Daryl Dixon speechless!"

She picked up her bags and headed toward the house, still laughing.

He just stood there for a moment longer, trying to get his thoughts together. He would have words for her later, but right now he just wanted to be quiet and let their first kiss replay over and over again in his head.

 **Author's Note: Their first kiss! I hope y'all enjoyed it! If there are inconsistencies or errors, I apologize! Feel free to leave a review and let me know what you thought!**

 **So, I've been thinking about this story and where it's going. I've got some ideas of what I'd like to include, but if y'all have any ideas for a cute Daryl/Carol chapter you'd like to see, let me know and I might include it in here!**


	7. This is NOT a Chapter

**Author's Note: Hey, y'all! First of all, I would like to apologize to anyone that thought this was a new chapter. Secondly, I would like to apologize for what I'm about to say in regards to this story. When I first got the idea for this story, I was so excited about it. It was meant to be a cute story with lots of Daryl and Carol moments.**

 **Now, though, I've lost all inspiration for this story. Whenever I try to write a chapter, my mind just goes blank. I don't know if I got Daryl and Carol together too early or what, but the inspiration just isn't there anymore.**

 **I hate to disappoint anyone who's been a fan of this story and has been waiting for an update, but sadly I think I'm going to have to put this story on pause. I just can't work on it right now.**

 **I think I'm going to focus on my other two stories for now, and then after a while, I might come back to this one. In fact, I may just rewrite this one all together.**

 **Thank you so much for the reviews, follows, and favorites! It makes me so happy to know people are enjoying the work I put out there! Again, I'm so sorry I can't keep working on this story. Hopefully I will find some inspiration soon. Thanks for reading!**


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